Oil controller for high temperature epump applications

Abstract

In an electric motor-driven oil pump assembly for use with an engine in a vehicle, such as with an automatic engine-stop system in which an electric motor-driven oil pump is driven by an electric motor for hydraulic pressure supply to a transmission or engine of an automotive vehicle, at least in a stopped state of a mechanical oil pump driven by the engine, a controller for operating the motor for controlling the oil pump is provided in a housing proximal the flowing oil fluid such that the flowing oil fluid maintains the temperature of the controller below a predetermined temperature to avoid failure of the electronic components of the controller.

1 . An electric motor-driven pump assembly for hydraulic pressure fluid supply, the assembly comprising:
 an electric motor having a casing;   a pump having a pump housing with a first end and a second end and wherein the motor casing is coupled to the first end of the pump housing, the pump including a pump fluid passage connected to the motor for conveying the fluid to the motor;   controller housing having a that end coupled to the second end of the pump housing,   the controller housing including an inlet passage for receiving the fluid and an outlet passage for conveying the fluid, the inlet passage being connected to the pump fluid passage for conveying the fluid into the pump and through the motor to transfer heat from the motor to the fluid before the fluid flow back into the pump and out of the assembly through the outlet passage of the controller housing, wherein a first portion of the controller housing is located adjacent the inlet and outlet passages to provide heat transfer between the fluid and the first portion; and   a controller located in the first portion of the controller housing and electrically connected to the motor for supplying power to the motor to thereby control the speed of the pump and the output of fluid from the pump, wherein heat produced by the controller is transferred to the fluid flowing through the inlet and outlet passages.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the controller housing includes a cavity located in the first portion, wherein the controller is located in the cavity, and wherein the controller housing includes a first passage for receiving wire leads to be coupled to the controller and the motor. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 2  wherein the pump and the motor are sealed to prevent fluid from contacting the controller. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 2  wherein the pump and the motor are not sealed such that fluid flowing through the pump may contact the controller to provide heat transfer from the controller to the fluid while not causing an electrical short in the controller or motor. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the inlet and outlet passage extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 5  wherein the controller is aligned at an angle with respect to the axis of the assembly. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the controller housing comprises aluminum and the controller comprises at least one MOSFET for supplying conductive forces for inducing a magnetic field for controlling and driving the electric motor. 
     
     
         8 . A pump assembly for supplying hydraulic pressure to a fluid, the pump assembly comprising:
 a controller housing;   a motor housing coupled to the controller housing;   a motor ring;   a pump outer rotor coupled to the motor ring and having a shaped inner circumference including a shaped anchor portion;   a pump inner rotor having a plurality of arcuately spaced slots;   a first vane having a first end located in the shaped anchor portion in the pump outer rotor, the first vane extending through a first air of slots in the pump inner rotor; and   second and third vanes extending through second and third pairs of slots in the pump inner rotor;   wherein the ends of the first, second and third vanes follow the contour of the inner circumference of the passage of the pump outer rotor and will swing back and forth along an angle defined by the pump rotor.   
     
     
         9 . The pump assembly of  claim 8  wherein the pump outer rotor is the driving member and the pump inner rotor is driven by the first vane connected with pump outer rotor. 
     
     
         10 . The pump assembly of  claim 8  wherein the contour of the inner circumference of the passage of the pump outer rotor is a pre-selected curve and rotation of the pump outer rotor moves the first, second and third vanes to swing back and forth. 
     
     
         11 . The pump assembly of  claim 8  wherein the controller is located proximal the motor ring, the pump outer rotor, the pump inner rotor and the first, second and third vanes such that fluid flowing through the pump receives heat from the controller. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the electric motor includes a stator and a bus-bar coupled to the stator;
 the controller housing includes a cavity located in the first portion and a first passage extending from the cavity to the pump, and the controller is located in the cavity; 
 the pump includes a sealed passage extending from the first passage of the controller housing to the electric motor; 
 and the bus-bar of the electric motor includes an extension passing through the sealed passage of the pump and into the first passage of the of the controller housing and is coupled to the controller. 
 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the pump further comprises a knob and an intersecting vane received in and extending outwardly of the knob; and the electric motor includes a motor rotor surrounding the intersecting vane and a stator surrounding the motor rotor. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the pump further comprises:
 a fixed bushing; 
 a pump inner rotor surrounding the fixed bushing and rotating with respect to the fixed busing; 
 a pump outer rotor surrounding the pump inner rotor and rotating with respect to the fixed busing; and 
 a plurality of vanes spaced from one another and extending from the fixed bushing through the pump inner rotor to the pump outer rotor. 
 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 14  wherein the electric motor includes a motor rotor and the pump outer rotor is pressed into the motor rotor,
 the pump outer rotor presents an inner bore receiving an end of each of the vanes; 
 the pump inner rotor includes slots allowing the vanes to extend therethrough; and 
 wherein the motor rotor and the pump outer rotor rotate in the same direction and drive the pump inner rotor and a first one of the vanes followed by a second one of the vanes and a third one of the vanes, and the vanes swing back and forth at angles related to a curve presenting the inner bore of the pump outer rotor. 
 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the electric motor includes a motor fluid passage for conveying the fluid, and the pump fluid passage is connected to the motor fluid passage for conveying the fluid to the motor.